Adjustable Robot Cutting Tool for Singularity-Free Oblique Slab Cuts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robots face limitations in making mitered or angled cuts on large slabs due to their limited range of motion and the risk of singularity, which often results in unusable cutting systems and additional machining costs.
Innovation Solution
A multi-axis articulated robot system with a moveable support and a cutting tool axis that allows for continuous, uninterrupted cuts at oblique angles by coordinating movements to avoid singularity, using a controller to manage the robot portions and tool orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a robot is used for cutting large slabs at oblique angles, then the cutting capability is improved, but the robot encounters singularity conditions that limit its range of motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the robot base movable rather than fixed. The base can translate and rotate dynamically to reposition the robot arm, allowing the system to achieve oblique cutting angles without the arm entering singularity conditions. This dynamic base adjustment enables the robot to maintain reliable operation while expanding its cutting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an additional degree of freedom by allowing the base to move in multiple dimensions (translation along tracks and rotation). This dimensional expansion provides alternative paths for the cutting tool to reach oblique angles without requiring the arm to pass through singular configurations, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If the robot attempts to achieve mitered or angled cuts, then the cutting precision is improved, but the limited range of motion and singularity make the system unusable
Solution Approach 1:
The movable base provides dynamic repositioning capability that allows the robot to achieve precise oblique cuts while maintaining ease of operation. By translating and rotating the base, the system can access cutting angles that would otherwise require problematic arm configurations, making the system usable for a broader range of cutting tasks while preserving precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cutting system into independent components: the movable base and the cutting arm. This segmentation allows the base to handle positioning and orientation adjustments independently, enabling the arm to focus on precise cutting execution without encountering singularity issues, thereby improving both precision and usability.
3Device complexity
If the robot uses a fixed base configuration, then the system structure is simplified, but it cannot perform uninterrupted cuts at oblique angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic base movement capability that allows the robot to perform uninterrupted oblique cuts. The base can translate along tracks and rotate to maintain optimal positioning throughout the cutting path, enabling continuous operation without stopping to reposition. This dynamic capability justifies the increased structural complexity by delivering superior productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable base structure serves multiple functions: it provides repositioning, maintains cutting angles, and enables continuous operation. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated base mechanism, making the added complexity worthwhile by achieving uninterrupted cuts at various angles.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot system includes an articulated robot having a base near one end, a wrist flange near an opposite end, and a plurality of robot portions between the base and the wrist flange. A cutting tool is secured to the wrist flange and selectively moveable about at least one tool axis to change an angle of orientation of the cutting tool. A controller coordinates movement of the robot portions and at least one change in the angle of orientation of the cutting tool to move the cutting tool in an uninterrupted manner along a continuous cutting path to cut a slab of material while avoiding a singularity condition in which any two of the robot's axes are collinear.